The present invention relates to a device for transporting, positioning and adjusting of sectional reinforcement members for tack welding or the like in the assembly of panel plates or the like. It includes a plurality of gripping means for the sectional reinforcement member, a plurality of lifting magnets for the panel plate and a plurality of jack means for pressing the sectional member against the panel plate during the tack welding or the like.
A device of this type is described in the copending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 850,265 filed Nov. 10, 1977, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,977 granted Oct. 2, 1979. In this device the lifting magnets for the panel plate and the jack means for pressing the sectional member against the panel plate are arranged on a jig which is movable along a yoke which itself is supported in a gantry which is movable on rails which extend transversally of the longitudinal direction of the gantry. The yoke can only be moved a limited amount with respect to the gantry and the device may therefore only be used for sectional members which are to be oriented generally parallel to the gantry. The ends of the yoke can be moved only a limited amount with resect to each other in the vertical direction and the device may therefore not be used where the panel plate slopes with respect to the longitudinal direction of the gantry. Furthermore, the yoke is straight and relatively long, resulting in that it cannot be used for panel plates for smaller vessels, bow and stern sections and vessels having particularly fine lines where a large part of the sections have a certain curvature. In addition, the cost of said device makes it difficult to obtain the necessary economic return in smaller shipyards.